From Smithfield Market and Dickens to a Foundling Hospital

We’ve left Farringdon - best known for Smithfield market - behind. The area’s colourful past is referenced by Charles Dickens in Oliver Twist, who wrote of "unwashed, unshaven, squalid and dirty figures" and "a stunning and bewildering scene which quite confounded the senses."

Perhaps less well known is Farringdon’s dark and bloody history of revolts and executions, including William Wallace. The Scottish Braveheart was captured and put to death there in August 1305.

Our new home in Bernard Street takes its name from Sir Thomas Bernard. Bernard was the governor of the Foundling Hospital, established by philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram in 1739. Its royal charter’s sad description reads: ”a hospital for the maintenance and education of exposed and deserted young children.”

Today, wonderful work helping children continues in the nearby Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Culture: It's Not About Mission Statements

Andy Insley, IT Lab’s Chief Financial Officer, welcomed the London team to their new home and commented: “Culture isn’t about mission statements or posters on the wall about integrity - who wouldn’t want those values. It’s about the way we behave every day. IT Lab is at the forefront of flexible and collaborative ways of working; our new open plan, modern environment supports this ethos.

“We now have consistency across our main Manchester, Cape Town and London offices. Together with the recent implementation of ServiceNow, we continue to build on the quality of service we deliver to our clients.

“As with the Manchester move, the success of our London relocation was due to the sterling commitment of a fantastic team. There are a few key criteria as to whether office moves are successful or not. Looking at it from an IT point of view, on our first day in Bernard Street everyone was working at 9.30am, with zero downtime and minimal disruption. To get three major projects smoothly across the line over the space of one month is phenomenal.”